I have just received a few PM's from a new member regarding the Maritime Hospital. His mother worked there as a Nurse in May 1940 looking after British and French soldiers and some children. With some of my pictures from a trip last year he has given me permission to share what he sent me on the forum.... EDIT: I have decided to edit this into a better layout as I have now received an account from Vusi that has been submitted with his mothers blessing, it has also been submitted to be published in a newspaper in Denmark. As before I will endeavour to bring the story to life with some of the pictures I've posted in Previous threads on this forum. Hopefully after reading this you will, like me, pass on your thanks to her on behalf of all those she should some compassion too that were not fortunate to make it home to their loved ones. Regards Andy Hi Andy I went to my mum with the photos and she recognized them immidiately but she did not get very happy. "All these terrible memories come to the surface" she said. I have edited the whole story according to the chronology etc. and my mum has approved it. The English translation of the article is below. May be you should remove the old story from this forum and upload this on instead. I have sent the article to the newspaper and now I have to see what happens. If you want me to credit you for your photo I need your real name. Thanks in advance. You get the article in 2 or 3 parts as it is too long to send as one. This is the 1st part:
Today Looking East towards Bray Dunes "I remember that I gave to a wounded soldier a little tea. He was very happy, but immediately after he died." The words come from 88 year old Marguerite Motte. When she now looks out of the window in her modern elderly-friendly apartment, she sees Odense Railway Station with busy people who arrive and leave, all peacefully and idyllic. But 70 years ago the idyll - or lack of same - and the view for the - at that time - 18 years old Marguerite Motte was quite another on the beach of Zuydcoote just outside Dunkirk. Thousands of allied soldiers stood in water up to their neck and tried to get on a boat to England. MH was born and raised in the city of Lille in northern France. Just 18 years old she took in early April 1940 to a children observatory home in Bray-Dunes east of Dunkirk, where she should work as a trainee. The war with Germany was started shortly before, but who cared about that, because here was indeed no Germans. Yet. For the German troops were approaching rapidly, and during April nearly everybody fled from Bray-Dunes – the bakers, the craftsmen, the shop owners ... All windows at the home were blown because of pressure from exploding mines in the Channel. There were no glaziers to repair and it was impossible to get food for the approx. 200 children. They needed a piece of advice. However the staff succeeded in partly sending some children home to their parents and partly having some accommodated at other homes, but about.60 children from a few months to 6 years old were left and they had to be evacuated. The management made an agreement with a nearby hospital in Zuydcoote that they could stay there in a basement, but there were no beds or other stuff for the children because the hospital was converted to a war hospital. Actually, there was room for 700 patients but due to the war there were more than 2000 wounded allied soldiers. Looking West towards Dunkirk which can just be seen on the horizon. The children, Marguerite Motte and the rest of the staff were picked up in military trucks about 12th May. Folding beds and other necessary equipment were crammed into trucks. From Bray-Dunes to Zuydcoote there were only a few miles, but it took most of the day to drive the short distance. Constantly the trucks were attacked by German aircrafts, which fired on them despite the painted red-cross signs. The drivers drove deliberately into the ditch and pretended they were hit. They asked the children to be quiet and play dead, but the children did not understand anything at all. Folding beds and other stuff fell over them and they yelled at their mother and father. Every time the trucks came up on the road again, the scene repeated, but late that day, however, they reached Zuydcoote and miraculously none had been hit. At the Zuydcoote hospital that was situated just down to the beach, the children and the staff were shown into the basement, but there were approx. 40 degrees heat down there, as the hospital heated a lot, because not all wounded soldiers had carpets and therefore could keep warm. It was unbearable in the basement, but fairly safe. Day and night they were attacked by German planes which fired at the hospital. Due to lack of space indoor many of the wounded soldiers stayed in tents in the hospital garden. They were easy targets for the German aircrafts. At the same time arrived many civilian refugees, including Marguerite Motte´s parents, to the hospital and some were housed in the basement with MH and the children. There were many fates among the civilians, e.g. a young woman who gave birth to her child in the basement. The lack of space meant that many had to share one mattress, and thus shared Marguerite Motte with her mother. Although many of the wounded soldiers was in a miserable condition and needed everything, they could still think of others. Marguerite Motte had several times experienced that a soldier had a piece of chocolate, but gave it to her with the words: "Give it to the children."
Maritime Hospital at Zuydcoote Today The water had gradually been rationed, but one day a group of British soldiers came to the hospital and asked to get their water tank filled up. They got some water, but there should also be some left for all the others. The soldiers were dissatisfied with that, and therefore went out in the dunes, found the water tube and cut a hole in it to get water without thinking of the thousands of children, refugees, staff and wounded soldiers in the hospital who had to be without water for many hours before the tube was repaired again. For safety reasons the children were not allowed to get up from the basement, but Marguerite Motte and the staff did a rotation in which the adults in turn could go up and get some fresh air. The danger from the German planes was ignored, just getting up from the basement was a liberation – machine gun shooting or not. Scars of the fighting are clearly visible today on the out buildings. Late May thousands of British, French and Canadian soldiers arrived on the beach in front of the Zuydcoote hospital. England had over radio proclaimed that they would retrieve the surrounded troops at Dunkirk, but not many, and certainly not the Germans, thought it was possible, but 28th May the horizon got black of ships approaching the coast. England had sent anything that could sail and float to evacuate the more than 300,000 allied troops encircled in the Dunkirk area. From the larger ships smaller rowing boats went to shore to retrieve the soldiers. Some British in the boats only cared for their own. Many of the French soldiers, who also would try to escape from the Germans, were violated and beaten on their fingers when they made a grab at the gunwale of the boats. The first day the evacuation went pretty well. It was foggy and misty, and the German planes could not get on the wings, but the next day it cleared up and so the Germans got down to the attacks. The aircrafts could mow down soldiers on the beach, because there was nowhere to hide. The dead and wounded were often simply just left. During the week the evacuation lasted Marguerite Motte sometimes came down to the soldiers on the beach. There was a strict system under which they had to wade out to the boats, but often there was no place for them anyway and they had to wade back. It was hard to see and hear their disappointment not to join. Many boats capsized when the soldiers had to climb in them and many were sunk by German aircrafts, with the result that the soldiers drowned. The German planes were fired on both from anti-aircraft guns around the hospital, from ships and allied aircrafts, but the Germans were far superior. Despite this it was managed to get the bulk of allied troops on the ships to England. The area today where Marguerite Motte describes some of the wounded soldiers sheltered in tents. Then suddenly, at. 5 o’clock in the morning 3rd June everyone in the basement woke because of silence. During the three weeks in the Zuydcoote hospital had all become so accustomed to hear the constant barking of machine guns and bomb explosions that all woke by the silence. A very strange feeling. The next day the Germans arrived themselves. They were furious that the allied soldiers had succeeded in escaping. A German soldier came into the cellar, opened the door and stared in surprise. "Kinder!" ["Children!"] he exclaimed in amazement, as he probably expected to find allied soldiers. Confused he fetched an officer who came down and gave orders that the staff had one day to pack the kids up and disappear from the hospital.
Meanwhile the Germans had accommodated their own wounded soldiers in the hospital, kicked the wounded allied soldiers out and put them on the lawn without care, food, water or shelter for the night. Many were very thirsty and Marguerite Motte and the remaining staff slipped to give some of the soldiers a little tea. They were very very happy for that. Marguerite Motte gave a soldier a little tea, but immediately after he died. Maritime Hospital at Zuydcoote May 1940 For the children it was also liberation to get up from the basement, but one of them got pneumonia from the sudden environmental change. Marguerite Motte heard that the child died shortly after. It was the only loss among the children, although many were sick of the situation in the basement, through all the dramatic weeks. It was no problem to find vehicles for evacuation of children from Zuydcoote. The allied had left all their equipment including thousands of trucks, so it was just to take some. And so did the staff, and drove the children home to their parents and some other homes and hospitals. Also Marguerite Motte was driven home to Lille, where the streets were completely deserted and abandoned. Slowly life turned back to the city. Marguerite Motte and her family survived the war. In 1948 she came to Denmark as an exchange student, and met her future husband here. They married in 1949, got children and settled in Odense. [The end] Maritime Hospital at Zuydcoote Today a thousand miles from the hectic days of 70 years ago. Marguerite Motte aged 20 years
Vusi, Please pass on my thanks to your mother for sharing this story. You should and I'm sure you are, be very proud of her. Only the wounded soldiers who's wounds she tended to will truly ever know how much her efforts were appreciated. God bless her. Kindest Regards Andy
What a tragic description. I hope the Lady will find peace finally after all the suffering she endured, and her scars will heal.
Vusi, Many thanks for sharing your mother's story and to her especially for putting herself through the task of recalling difficult memories. Very moving indeed and an interesting extra facet on the story of the evacuation. Regards, Diane
Very interesting. Thanks for posting. Mustn't forget the civilians caught up in the fighting as we tend to concentrate on the servicemen. Only thing is, I doubt if there were any Canadians there. Late May thousands of British, French and Canadian soldiers arrived on the beach in front of the Zuydcoote hospital.
Vusi, what a heart rendering story please pass on my thanks to your Mother for her sharing the story, im sure it was very difficult to be reminded of those events all those years ago but without such accounts we would not know of the other side of events that affected the French people in ww2, that are seldom heard of many thanks, Jason.
Good point Owen, the civilian experience can sometimes be overlooked in the clamour to investigate the Armed struggle. And what an interesting story. Thanks Vusi for this.
Vusi Thank you for sharing your Mothers story it is greatly appreciated by all. Andy thank you for linking the time line together.
Vusi, You can be very proud of your mothers deeds. Please pass on my sincere thanks and gratitude for her work carried out at a most dangerous time. This story shows the good side of mankinds nature. Well done for producing this thread Andy. Regards Tom
Vusi, a number of men from my home town never made it back from Dunkirk, either killed in the days prior to evacuation, or dying from wounds that they sustained. No doubt some of them spent time at the hospital where your mother worked, and on their behalf. MY THANKS Phil
Vusi Thank you for sharing your mother's story and to your mother for recalling those difficult times Seventy years ago. Very moving. Regards, Nick
Vusi, Many thanks for sharing your Mother's experiences with us. Please pass on our sincere thanks to her for her actions then and for remembering those events now. Andy, well done for compiling and posting, thanks. Mike
From our generation to you. Thank you. Someone has to try and fate singled you out, you stood resolute. The memories must have been difficult to relive. Thanks to Vusi and Andy to help the story come to light.
